PREPARATIONS FOR CPN MAOIST GENERAL CONVENTION COMPLETE Kathmandu, 8 Jan. : Preparatoons have been completed for a general convention by the central committee of CPN Maoist that begins in the capital from Wednesday seven months after splitting from ruling UCPN Maoist leading the government , Spokesperson Phampa Bhusal said Tuesday. The convention ill start from the Open Air Theatre before going into closed door session. She called the convention the seventh and not the first. Bhusal called for an end to changes directed from foreign quarters including the 2007 BA changeover from Rana rule brought through the New Delhi accord. She said foreigners were involved in the 1990 changeover from panchayat to legalization of banned political parties. Bhusal said foreign were again involved in the trasition from monarchy to a republic again through a New Delhi accord/ The party is pushinga35-point agenda. “We want a democratic republic. caaaaant a. A rpuand though the New Delhi 12-point accord againthe b cccciting party changes of 2007 BA, ePreparations wi NEW COUNTRY PROGRAMME WITH UNICEF Kathmandu, 8 Jan.; Government Monday signed a new $144 million five-year Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) until 2017. The 1996 Basic Cooperation Agreement between the Government of Nepal and UNICEF was signed by Joint Secretary at the Finance Ministry Madhu Kumar Marasini and Unicef Country Representative Hanaa Singer. The country programme from 2013-2017 will ‘directly address the policy, system and societal factors that influence equitable access to education, health care, nutrition, sanitation, clean water, protection and information for women, adolescents and children,” UNICEF said. It targets15 low performing districts. “It will help build more responsive and quality nnnn